Anonymous tip leads to marijuana farm bust

By Craig Hlavaty |
August 27, 2014

On Tuesday yet another marijuana-growing operation was discovered in the Houston area, with an anonymous tip leading the Harris County Sheriff's Office to the latest haul in north Harris County. Nearly 1,000 marijuana plants were discovered, with officials placing the street value of the plants at least half a million dollars. (Photos: Harris County Sheriff's Office)

On Tuesday yet another marijuana-growing operation was discovered in the Houston area, with an anonymous tip leading the Harris County Sheriff's Office to the latest haul in north Harris County. Nearly 1,000 marijuana plants were discovered, with officials placing the street value of the plants at least half a million dollars. (Photos: Harris County Sheriff's Office)

Photo By Houston Chronicle

These are the biggest Houston-area drug busts of 2014.

Photo By Scott Engle , Montgomery County Police Reporter

Sept. 2, 2014: – Polk County authorities uncovered another massive marijuana farm in their jurisdiction, this one containing roughly 9,600 plants, according to the Montgomery County Police Reporter.

Aug. 19, 2014: The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office found a marijuana farm worth approximately $10 million located just North of Sugar Land Regional Airport. Benigno Ramirez of Michoacan, Mexico became a suspect in the case after police found a cellphone at the campsite that contained a selfie.

Aug. 11, 2014: According to the Montgomery County Police Reporter, Washington County Sheriff's deputies seized $1,725,000 worth of marijuana – about 3,450 plants – from a 50-acre growing operation in the 11000 block of Palestine Road in Brenham.

July 28, 2014: A deer hunter stumbled upon a massive marijuana growing operation in Polk County, where authorities uncovered 100,197 plants among 29 fields with an estimated value of $175 million.

July 1, 2014: Forty-eight bundles (115.4 pounds) of cocaine, valued at $1,464,400 was recovered in a traffic stop July 1, 2014 in Fort Bend County. (Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office)

July 1, 2014: Deputies in Chambers County stumbled upon a marijuana farm containing 5,500 plants worth a total of $2 million. A rancher working the federally-owned land called the sheriff's office after he noticed strange activity on the land. When deputies arrived, they found the large pot farm and two men scurrying away. (Chambers County Sheriff's Office)

Photo By (Fayette County Sheriff’s Office)

May 14, 2014: A routine traffic stop led to the discovery of a stash of drugs hidden in welding equipment, the Fayette County Sheriff's Office said today in a press release.
At around 12:40 p.m. May 13, Deputy Randy Thuman and his canine partner Lobos stopped a truck on westbound I-10, near Flatonia. While speaking with the driver, Jesus Gerado Vela Jr., 29, Thuman became suspicious of his behavior. Vela consented to a search the vehicle, deputies said.

Photo By Fort Bend County

May 7, 2014: Officials found 24.56 pounds (11.16 kilos) of cocaine concealed in a homemade compartment inside a vehicle frame. The cocaine has a value of about $334,800, and Jeanie Burciaga, 38, and Adrian Martinez, 38, of Brownsville, were arrested and booked into the Fort Bend County Jail on charges of manufacturing/delivery of a controlled substance and second degree charges of unlawful use of a criminal instrument.

Photo By Scott Engle / Montgomery County Police Reporter

May 7, 2014: Humble ISD Elementary school teacher Monica Quintero, 31, and three others were been arrested on drug charges after Montgomery County deputy constables raided their Porter apartment where they found drugs, guns and cash inside.

Photo By U.S. Customs and Border Protection

April 16, 2014: A Pearland woman was caught at the U.S. and Mexico border with just over $1 million in concealed narcotics, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. Officers found 19 pounds of methamphetamine, 12 pounds of heroin and another 10 pounds in cocaine inside the car being driven by the woman.

Photo By Harris County Sheriff's Office

March 31, 2014: Marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $1.4 million were found at an undisclosed Harris County location. The Harris County Sheriff's Office said it was a tip from the agency's smartphone app that led them to the bust.

Photo By Louisiana State Police

March 28, 2014: Martin Martinez, 34, from La Marque, was
driving a Mercedes on I-10 in Baton Rouge, March 23, when he was pulled
over by troopers for improper lane usage. LSP said a search revealed
244 pounds of marijuana.

Photo By Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle

March 5, 2014: Homeland Security Investigations agents executing a
search warrant for "drug-related activity" found a covert facility and
thousands of pills, said Greg Palmore, a spokesman for the federal
agency. The operation was not a laboratory, like one used to cook
methamphetamine, but used already prepared chemicals to make the pills.

Photo By HCSO

Feb. 18, 2014: Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies seized
guns and 18 pounds of marijuana at a home in northwest Harris County.
The drugs were valued at about $90,000, and $13,000 in cash was also
discovered.

Photo By MCSO

Feb. 13, 2014: Law enforcement authorities seized about 3,000
grams of methamphetamine during a traffic stop on the frontage road of
U.S. 59 in Splendora. The drugs were estimated to be worth $300,00, and
two men were arrested.

It's appears that it has been a banner summer for local narcotics authorities and marijuana farms.

On Tuesday yet another marijuana-growing operation was discovered in the Houston area, with an anonymous tip leading the Harris County Sheriff's Office to the latest haul in north Harris County.

Via helicopter, deputies spotted four marijuana fields near I-45 North and Rankin Road

Deputies reported finding approximately 1,000 marijuana plants, with some as tall as four feet in height. The estimated street value of the marijuana was set at nearly half a million dollars.

No suspects have been named in connection with the operation.

A handful of other operations have been discovered across the area of varying sizes and sophistication.

Benigno Ramirez of Michoacan, Mexico is wanted by the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office after authorities allegedly found a cellphone containing a "selfie" of him at the site of the $10 million pot farm, located just north of Sugar Land Regional Airport.

A large marijuana plantation discovered earlier this month in Polk County may be linked to an even larger farm found in July worth $175 million, a record haul for Texas law enforcment according to officials.